Nanocrystalline metals and alloys often have superior mechanical properties (e.g., high strength, wear resistance, superplastic formability, etc.) compared to coarse-grained materials. Nanocrystalline materials are primarily produced using two different approaches: (i) “top-down” approaches such as severe plastic deformation; or (ii) “bottom-up” approaches like sputtering or electrodeposition. A third, less common, technique to produce nanocrystalline alloys involves the recrystallization of a fully amorphous material by controlled thermal annealing or severe mechanical deformation. All of these prior approaches, however, provide only a limited capability to control the microstructure. Accordingly, improved techniques for creating nanocrystalline materials with controlled microstructures are desirable.